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Are these the Cotswolds' worst potholes? Send us your suggestions!

George Brooks nominated Thomas Street in Cirencester for having the worst potholes

Potholes on Carpenter's Lane, just off Lewis Lane in Cirencester

Carl Littler of Rose Way sent in this picture of a particularly deep pothole on Siddington Road, just between Rose Way and Nursery Close. He expressed concerns about damage to cars, particularly the car owned by his disabled mother

Russell Blackaller sent in this photo of potholes at the Watermoor end of Victoria Road in Cirencester. Russell described the road as disintegrating and asked why the roads were looking so neglected

Potholes in Queen Street, Cirencester. Reader David Ryan-Ainslie claims these are the oldest potholes in the town and have been frequently patched up for 30 years with no major resurfacing.

HEAVY rain has played havoc with roads across Gloucestershire, tearing up tarmac and leaving a proliferation of potholes.

The issue is a perennial problem for highways chiefs at Gloucestershire County Council, who have battled for years to try to keep up with road repairs.

Cllr Vernon Smith, GCC’s cabinet member for highways, said the county’s busiest roads were inspected at least once a month.

“Smaller ones are programmed to be repaired within 28 days and unsafe ones are fixed immediately,” he said. “We identify and fix hundreds of potholes each day. In the last 12 months we’ve fixed nearly 50,000 in Gloucestershire.”

Readers have been quick to answer our challenge to send us pictures of the worst affected roads in the district.

Cirencester resident David Ryan-Ainslie nominated Queen Street, which has a line of potholes he claims are probably the oldest in Cirencester.

He said they had simply been patched up over the past 30 years, often unsuccessfully, with no major resurfacing.

Concerns have also been raised about chunks of tarmac missing from roads near schools. Fairford mayor Caroline Mumford said Leafield Road near Fairford Primary and Farmor’s schools was a prime example.

“They flick gravel on to the footpath where children are walking, which is a real issue,” she said.

Carl Littler, of Rose Way near Siddington, said he was angry at the damage caused to his car, an issue echoed by other readers.

“The potholes are getting bigger and are filled in time and again, allowing the damage to spread outwards as the filling gets washed on to the road when driven over,” he said.

GCC councillor for Fairford and Lechlade Ray Theodoulou said Mr Littler had hit on a key issue.

“You fill them up and then just wait for more rain to fall and cars to drive through them and they pop out,” he said. “It really is a dilemma. We all know the road should be ripped up and new tarmac placed but there is simply not the money. This really is a rock-in-a-hard-place situation.”